Every Wednesday, a group of Black farmers meet up to sell produce on Route 1.

Held in front of Good Food Markets community grocery store in Woodridge in D.C., the Black Farmers Market helps support farmers of color and give local residents easier access to healthy food.

The market is held each Wednesday from 3 to 6 p.m. in front of the store at at 2006 Rhode Island Ave. NE. where fresh in-season produce is sold, which currently includes kale, corn, carrots, peppers and peaches.

It’s organized by Dreaming Out Loud, a nonprofit founded by Christopher Bradshaw in 2008, which addresses issues around food security and is aimed at building a more equitable food system in D.C.

In partnership with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, Dreaming Out Loud runs a two-acre organic farm at Kelly Miller Middle School in D.C., which has an on-site food hub that distributes some of its produce to area nonprofits and other community groups.

In addition to holding the Black Farmers Market, the organization also runs a Black Farm community-supported agriculture food share from June to November that can also be picked up Good Food Markets.

Produce sold at the market and through their CSA is sourced from their farm at Kelly Miller and in partnership with other area Black farms including DC Urban Greens.

In 2020, Bradshaw was named one of D.C.’s change-makers in the area’s food system by Washington City Paper. Just last month he was named an “American Food Hero” by Eating Well magazine after being nominated by noted restaurateur José Andrés.

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